I was horrified to discover that my parents had changed all the locks and left all my stuff outside in the pouring rain. I had lost my job and had to move back in with them. I thought it would be a safe haven, a place to start fresh. But their anger towards me was palpable. They didn’t even let me explain before slamming the door in my face. I stood alone in the rain, with all my belongings scattered around me. All my hopes and dreams of a better future washed away with every drop of rain. I had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. I felt like a failure and a burden. And as the night crept in, I curled up on the wet pavement, feeling lost, alone, and hopeless.
